Protecting The Vulnerable

The NLC acts a catalyst for eradicating poverty and reducing inequality in South Africa, channeling 47% of its annual budget for distribution of funds to a range of good causes.

The Charities Sector receives the largest share of funds and covers a wide range of organisations in the social welfare, community health, literacy, and social development fields.

Organisations can apply for funds if their activities:

Improve the quality of life of the community as a whole.

Assist disadvantaged or excluded groups, such as the elderly, people with disabilities and vulnerable children.

Provide facilities or services for the underprivileged.

Regulations published in July 2010 direct the Charities Distributing Agency to allocate at least 50% of the money available for distribution to this sector to organisations involved in:

Expanding home-based care services through training and developing infrastructure for the care of elderly people, ill people and vulnerable groups, including orphaned children.

Providing educational facilities for early childhood education and adult literacy, and undertaking vocational training and mentoring for skills development through programmes that include people with disabilities.

Within this framework, the emphasis may shift slightly from one call for applications to the next. Organisations wishing to apply should read the wording of each call for applications carefully.